Stankoven talks facing Ovechkin in swan-song season, tallying first NHL hat-trick against Canucks

In the first meeting between the teams, Ovechkin registered an assist in a 5-2 win for the Capitals on Oct. 2 in Raleigh. Stankoven scored one goal in a losing effort.

CFJC spoke to Stankoven on Monday [Oct. 12]. Here’s the edited-for-length interview transcript:

MH: What was it like to score your first hat-trick, and to get it against Vancouver [in a 7-2 win on Oct. 8 in Raleigh]?

LS: It was unreal, very exciting for myself and my family and, yeah, my teammates were really happy for me. It was just a fun night overall. I hadn’t scored one since back with the Blazers [2023 WHL playoffs, Round 1, Game 1, vs. Vancouver, March 31, 2023], so it was nice to see that third one go in. I feel like I’ve had a few two-goal games and some games where I was close to getting a third, but just couldn’t quite get it. So, it was nice to do it and against a team that I grew up watching.

MH: I saw your little tip of the hat and the hats coming down. How was the hat response out there in Carolina?

LS: Yeah, there was quite a few hats out there. Seth Jarvis and one of our team-services guys collected the hats. After the game, I walked in and they were all dumped in my stall. There was quite a few there and I had to clean those up. But yeah, it was great. It was a fun night.

MH: You scored even strength, on the power play and on the penalty kill. How cool was it to get it done like that?

LS: Yeah, it was really cool, just being able to score in different situations. This year, I’ve gotten some penalty-kill time, which is awesome. I’ve really enjoyed that. To be a versatile player playing in different situations can go a long way in this league.

MH: When you play a team like Vancouver, which is rebuilding and makes no secret about it, is there any part of you that thinks, ‘Okay, there’s an opportunity if we play the right way for a point night?’

LS: I think if you play the right way, good things will happen. With the way our team plays, we’re very aggressive and we kind of create opportunities off of their mistakes and pressuring the puck. So, I don’t think you think about that going into a game. I think once you’re out there and maybe you score one or two and the game’s going your way, maybe you’re like, ‘Hey, this is a good chance. If we keep playing the right way, maybe I’ll get a chance of a third goal.’ That was kind of my feeling on the bench. Some of the guys were trying to feed me the puck and look for me, which was nice.

MH: Any time you have a good game against Vancouver for the rest of your career, Canucks fans are going to be like, ‘What were we doing? Why didn’t we take this guy?’ Do you see that chatter surface online after these sorts of games and do you have any thoughts on it?

LS: Yeah, I’ve seen it before, but it’s just the way the draft went back in the day and I feel like that’s five or six years down the road now in the past. Players grow and change and things just happen the way they do. I’m very happy with the spot I’m in, the situation that I’m in.

MH: You’re playing the Capitals this week and it’s going to be Ovechkin’s last season. Is there still a hockey fan inside of you that thinks it’s pretty cool to be part of these moments?

LS: Yeah, it’s very cool. It’s just crazy looking over sometimes during TV timeouts he’s always sitting at the end of the bench. Yeah, it’s just wild, someone you grew up idolizing. For me, I love scoring goals and he’s the all-time goals leader. And yeah, with this being his last year, it’s crazy how time flies and you remember watching those guys when they were young guns and now they’re kind of on their way out of the league.

MH: Have you had any interactions with him that are interesting on the ice, a little moment or word said or something chippy that happened? Is there anything like that that stands out in your mind?

LS: Not really. Actually, after he scored his goal to take over all-time leading goals, I think I lined up against him. This is when I was playing on the wing, so I lined up next to him and I congratulated him, but I don’t know if he heard me or anything. He didn’t say anything back, but that was kind of my one moment with him. He’s a different beast out there. He’s fun to watch.

MH: Last one. For your individual goals this season, have you set any markers this year that you would like to reach?

LS: I was kind of thinking about that. For me, a great individual season would be between 50 and 60 points. I think I’d be very happy with that. And, just each year trying to get a little bit better and come back as a better overall player.

by Marty Hastings

Stankoven talks facing Ovechkin in swan-song season, tallying first NHL hat-trick against Canucks

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